Bang!
She slammed the door.
My own goddamn door…
In my own fucking house.
Right in my face.
That nerve jumped at the edge of my eye. I swung my gaze to the sons’ room, then remembered they’d just left. That’s right. Jesus, get it together. Just leave and let her fucking seethe. I headed for the stairs. My jaw was clenched, biting down on the anger.
Defiant. Fucking. Brat.
I should go back in there.
I should go back in there and—
I stopped three stairs down and turned to glare at her doorway. Force her back to that bed and underneath me where she belongs. Her breasts jiggled in my mind, those tight, dusty pink nipples puckering as she raged. But that would only hurt her more. I’d open up that incision under the swell of her breast from where the young med student had implanted my tracker chip. Still, I wanted to…touch her.
Harsh breaths moved through me. My body and mind were at war, fighting the urge to both take care of her and throttle the ever-loving fuck out of her. The woman was a goddamn menace. A pain in my ass….so why the hell was I so goddamn addicted?
My cock kicked at the memory of her lying spread out on my desk, arms raised over her head, that challenge in her eyes. My lips turned dry. I licked them, staring at the glossy gray paint of her door, rage rippling behind it. I knew she was standing there, hating me. My pulse sped at the thought. Was she waiting to be taught a lesson? Was she waiting for me to take her downstairs and show her exactly how far her goddamn antics were going to get her here?
My balls clenched and that delicious ache spread along my shaft, tingling at the head. A pulse, and I knew a drop eased from the aching eye, wetting my fucking boxers. Christ, she made me want to fist myself like a goddamn teenager to relieve the tension. She made me want to take it all out on her body.
I’d never wanted to fuck so bad.
Still, I forced myself to turn and keep moving, making my way downstairs. Vivienne Evans was a piece of this game, nothing more, nothing less. I provided safety, a roof over her head, food for her to eat, and clothes for her to wear. I provide all those things to maintain her compliance. If I couldn’t obtain that with the protection I gave her—then I’d take it by fear.
She was starting to understand that. If not now, then she would soon enough. I grabbed my phone and typed out a message to my security detail:
Make sure she doesn’t leave, under any circumstances.
I made my way to the garage. Fuck, these last few days had been a goddamn mess. A pang cut across my chest, making me massage the hard knot of muscles at the back of my neck. I was too old for this shit. I’d give myself a goddamn heart attack if I wasn’t careful. I grabbed the keys inside the door, pressed the button on the sleek gunmetal gray Audi, and climbed in, fighting the urge to pull up her bedroom camera on my phone and watch her.
She was probably still standing there, glaring at the door. Or was she crying?
No.
A woman like Vivienne didn’t allow herself to break down. She swallowed her rage, unleashing it the moment you weren’t prepared. I needed to be careful around her. The woman was unpredictable, vengeful even. A curl came at the corner of my mouth. I was playing with fire when it came to her, and Christ, I smelled smoke everywhere. All it’d take would be a breath of air to ignite her, but I wouldn’t allow her that, would I?
No, I’d tighten my control. I had put my own goddamn tracker in her.
I’d watch her day and night.
I’d make sure she knew she was owned.
I hit the button on the garage door, shoved the car into gear, and pulled out of the garage, accelerating past the two guards I had patrolling the grounds. They weren’t the sons, but they’d do until Colt and Carven returned, they couldn’t be too far away. I wanted to get to the storage yard and back before they returned. I couldn’t take the risk of having her alone when they were there. Not after the meet and greet the other night in my study.
They were trigger happy at the best of times. One confrontational remark from her and they’d probably snap. Jesus, is this what it was like to live with a house of teenagers? Always belligerent, ungrateful, and highly-fucking-strung.
Ryth and her goddamn brothers had been a close call. If I’d allowed her to be taken, or worse…killed, I’d never get close to the real player here…I’d never get close to King. That was what drove me, the need to find him.
I pulled out onto the street and turned my attention to the phone beside me. A nagging feeling worked its way under my skin…her. She was fast becoming a problem for me. Consuming my focus…making me react in ways I couldn’t afford.
My hands clenched around the wheel. What I really wanted was them around her throat. One at least, while I explored her body with the other. The memory of the other night came roaring back, her on the bed, the towel wrapped around her, gaping at her thighs.
“Christ,” I snarled, my pulse thrumming. I jerked the wheel, pulling the car over to the side of the road.
I didn’t have time for this. I didn’t have time for her.
But I couldn’t stop myself as I reached for my phone, opened my apps, and pulled up the feed on the camera in her room. I watched her pace the floor of her bedroom with a look of pure rage on her face. She was dressed again, her blouse anyway, her full breasts swaying as she moved, making me goddamn stare. In an instant, I was mesmerized, watching her. Just like I always watched her.
At first, I’d told myself it was to ensure her safety…
Weeks later, I was still here…torturing myself. She stopped pacing and lifted her gaze to the camera. But it wasn’t the dummy one I had installed in the corner of her room. It was the real one, discreetly tucked away at the head of her bed. I didn’t know how she’d found it. The damn thing was almost impossible to see. But she saw it now, coming closer until her face filled the screen of my phone, her deep brown eyes commanding, her wild fucking hair unleashed, the kind I wanted to fist and pull taut.
There was an intense look of concentration on her face before the camera blurred with her fingers. Then the image shook, zooming right into those eyes as she pulled the damn thing out. I let out a snarl. Fucking thing cost me over five thousand dollars…that she now threw to the floor.
“Don’t you fucking dare—” I snarled as the darkness drove down…
Then there was nothing.
I stared at the dead feed.
“Goddamnit,” I yelled as I switched feeds and watched her from another as she straightened, flicked her hair back indignantly, and turned away.
“Pain in my goddamn ass,” I growled as I lowered my phone.
But I couldn’t end the view, not yet. I just shifted my gaze to the flow of traffic in front of me, then looked again, hating how I still fucking wanted her. More now than ever.
I shoved the car into gear and pulled out, heading to the on-ramp that’d take me clear across the city and past the seedy clubs Killion and his chumps frequented. The news of the attorney’s death had caused a shockwave through the elite. There were a lot of federal court judges and high-end attorneys very nervous right now.
Of course, they had no idea who’d committed the heinous act.
The police assumed it’d been a former client and right now they were scouring the thousands of sick assholes he’d locked up over the years, never once considering he was the sick asshole that’d been the cause of it all. There’d been no camera feed to investigate, no fingerprints of Ryth or her brothers left behind. For all intents and purposes, there’d been nothing for the police to go on.
The sons made sure of that, sending in a very discreet cleaning crew, one I’d paid handsomely.
The killing had been brutal.
And expected.
I pushed the Audi harder, moving through the traffic on the highway, my mind returning to the last moments with Ryth and her brothers. One bargaining chip was crucial to gain access to King, but two? Two would shift the power to me. If I couldn’t have Ryth, then I’d have her father.
As long as he gave me what I wanted.
Because I wouldn’t give him a choice.
I drove to the discreet white storage facility nestled in a quiet commercial area, and pulled up in front of the entrance. Precision Storage said the signage out front. No Vacancy, it had underneath. I opened my window, leaned out and punched in the code, then waited for the heavy steel gate to roll open. The sign said no vacancy because it wasn’t built for business, not the normal kind anyway.
Rolls of razor wire ran along the top of the surrounding fenceline. CCTV cameras were fitted throughout the grounds, watching every inch of the facility. It kept my business…
I drove through the gate, pulled up in the empty parking lot, and parked. The steel gate rolled closed as I climbed out. I checked the streets, making sure no one drove past, then turned and made my way toward the main building, nodding at one of my men as he stepped into view around the corner.
Armed security.
Razor wire.
State-of-the-art security.
Still it wasn’t enough.
I reached up and massaged the tight muscles at the back of my neck. It wasn’t anywhere near secure enough, not when it came to the kind of men I was making a move against. Haelstrom Hale wasn’t just ruthlessly powerful, he was also unpredictable as fuck.
I pressed my thumb against the sensor, waited for the heavy steel door to unlock, glanced at the small window of bullet-proof glass they spied through then pushed it open and stepped into the cool, air-conditioned foyer.
“Mr. St. James.” The guard rose from behind the desk.
“How is he?”
“Quiet,” the mercenary answered. “A little too quiet.”
He was surprised at that, but I wasn’t. “Good.”
I made my way along the hallway, past the other locked doors, to a room further in the back of the building. I pressed my thumb against the sensor and waited for the thunk of the lock before I opened the door and pushed through.
He was waiting for me, just like I knew he would be. I scanned the open space. It was big, almost as big as any apartment. A microwave and a jug sat in a small kitchenette and a bathroom showed off the open-area bedroom. There were no walls in this space, no privacy either. But after being in prison, I was sure Jack Castlemaine was used to that.
He didn’t move, sitting at the small round table with last week’s newspaper open in front of him. He was given limited access to the outside world. A man like Jack was resourceful, to say the least…which was the only reason he was still alive.
I glanced at the white bandage peeking out from the collar of his shirt. He’d suffered a number of injuries, the worst was a bullet wound, but after the shootout at the abandoned warehouses, it was lucky any of us were still alive, least of all him.
“I see you’re making use of your time.” I motioned to the spread-out clippings beside him.
He didn’t answer, just kept busy with the task at hand.
I didn’t like that…
“I hope your accommodations are—”
“Where is my daughter?” he asked, not bothering to lift his head.
I stopped at the edge of the table and looked down at the man. “Safe.”
Only then did he meet my gaze. “I don’t believe you.”
I gave a chuff and searched his gaze, picking the man apart before I reached into my pocket, drew out my phone, and pressed the programmed number. He didn’t look away, not even when the sound of ringing came through the speaker as I placed the phone on the table. It took a long time for her to answer…puffing and panting when she barked. “Yes…yes, I’m here.”
“It took a while,” I murmured. “I hope we weren’t disturbing you?”
A flush broke out on her father’s cheeks.
He didn’t like the idea of his daughter fucking three men, least of all her stepbrothers. Oh, the scandal. But Jack Castlemaine should know that isn’t the worst thing that could happen to a daughter…least of all his.
“No,” Ryth gasped, swallowing her breaths.
I opened my mouth to speak, but her father leaned forward and cut me off. “Are you safe?”
“Dad?” Surprised delight filled her voice. “Yeah, we’re safe.”
He closed his eyes, breathing hard. “Good…where are—”
I reached out, pressed the icon, and ended the call. Anger flared as he opened his eyes, meeting mine. “You bastard.”
I just smiled, plucked my phone from the table, and slid it back into my pocket. “Tell me where he is?”
Jack stilled, his eyes narrowing. “You know this is not going to work, right?”
I leaned forward, bracing my hand on the edge of the table. “Never, isn’t a word in my vocabulary, Jack. Not when it comes to me getting what I want. Now, I’m going to ask you again…where is he?”
Jack inhaled, then released his breath. “Benjamin will come. He’ll be looking for me. What will you do then, London? Are you going to play The Order on one side and battle the Mafia on the other?”
That fucking nerve beside my eye came back with a vengeance, twitching and pulsing. “If I have to. Now, where is King?” I leaned over him. “Tell me how to get to him.”
But the bastard didn’t flinch. “You and I know that’s not going to happen. If he wanted any kind of contact with you, he would’ve already reached out. You won’t get near him.” His voice softened. “No matter how many of his daughters you control.”
I slowly straightened. “He will if he wants them back.” I glanced at the newspaper clippings, seeing what interested the man. I’d spent a lifetime finding out what makes people tick. One look at Jack and I knew he was going to be a hard nut to crack.
But I would… I had time.
And his goddamn daughter.
A slow nod, and I headed for the door. My hand was on the handle when he spoke.
“She’ll hate you, you know that, right?” I stilled. “It won’t matter what you do, or why…she’ll hate you regardless.”
That nerve just…wouldn’t…fucking…quit. “It doesn’t matter what she thinks.” My mind returned to Vivienne. “She means nothing.”
“You just keep telling yourself that,” he sneered.
I yanked the door open and strode out, checking that it locked securely, leaving Jack’s words dying in the room behind me. My pulse sped as I made my way back to the front door. He was wrong. So very fucking wrong—
Pulse.
Pulse.
Pulse…
I pressed my finger against the twitch, then shoved the door open, leaving it to slam hard behind me.
Vivienne meant nothing to me. Nothing more than a chess piece to play…nothing more than a pawn in my goddamn game…and I was going to prove it.
